An emergency approval has been granted for paraffin oil product Olie-H in seed potato crops – helping growers tackle non-persistent aphid-vectored viruses. Non-persistently transmitted potyviruses – sometimes called mosaic viruses – are the most problematic viral diseases affecting British potato production. Currently, the dominant species is potato virus Y... Read more
King’s award for slug pellet manufacturer
Arable 03/06/2024
The UK’s only manufacturer of slug pellets has received a King’s Award for International Trade –recognising the company’s growth in overseas sales. Supplying both the farming and the amateur home and garden sectors, Nottinghamshire-based Doff Portland has seen overseas sales growth of 300% over three years. Exports now represent... Read more
A ground-breaking project to show how pulses can reduce greenhouse gas emissions is set to enter its second year – including a number of Midland farmers. The Nitrogen Climate Smart (NCS) initiative aims increase pulse and legume cropping in arable rotations to 20% (currently 5%) – and displace up... Read more
Lincolnshire-based seed supplier Cope has launched three high-yielding varieties – offering growers a wider choice and more flexibility. The launch of spring wheat variety Everlong, winter barley Aretha and spring pea Marler coincided with a new company website and rebranding of the business, which was formerly known as Cope... Read more
A renewed focus on hybrid rye as an energy crop for anaerobic digestion could lift the UK planted area well beyond 50,000ha, say industry experts. “Hybrid rye is super flexible in the rotation and an excellent choice for growers,” says Agrovista arable seed product manager and agronomist Ted Williams.... Read more
The latest version of a free Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tool includes a new benchmarking feature so users can compare control strategies. In a season of early pest, disease and weed pressures, more than 880 farmers, agronomists and advisors have used the free IPM Tool to create over 1200... Read more
Organisers of one of the biggest agricultural events in the Midlands are calling for farmers to come together and celebrate arable farming. More than 1,500 farmers are expected to attend the Arable Event – hosted by Bradford Estates, near Newport, Shropshire. Organised by Wynnstay and GrainLink, the day of... Read more
Would-be MPs are being urged to recognise the role of food and farming as candidates pitch for the rural vote ahead of next month’s general election. Confidence among farmers is the lowest since the NFU began its annual state of the industry survey in 2010. Farm businesses are being... Read more
More than 100 options to generate additional revenue are now available to producers who sign up to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). The government’s latest offer – which increases the number of SFI options from 23 to 102 from July – was published on 21 May as the government... Read more
Record rainfall has significantly increased financial pressures on farm businesses – but action can be taken to tackle many challenges. Large areas of farmland remain waterlogged following the wettest 18 months on record. The wet winter and spring have left some farms facing the first season without a harvest... Read more